Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Faith for the Middle (You're Not Finished Yet)

From You’re Not Finished Yet with Christine Caine on YouVersion
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:29-31
Did you know that when serious runners train for a race, they train for the middle? Understandably, the middle of any race is the hardest part. It’s where a runner begins to run out of energy, strength, and the mental focus to keep going. Whether he or she is a sprinter or a distance runner, if they don’t make it through the middle, they won’t make it across the finish line. It sounds so simple, but it requires strategic training to succeed.
From a spiritual perspective, isn’t the middle what we’re in training for much of our lives? Think of it this way: we’re born one day, spiritually speaking, and then we begin this race, which is our journey in Christ on this earth, all in hopes of crossing the finish line some day and hearing that we did a good job with the race we ran.1 That might be an oversimplification, but it sums up our lives really well, doesn’t it?
Someday, when I finish my race, I want to be able to say like the apostle Paul, “I fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), but to do that, I first have to get through the middle.
To get through the middle—of everything—you will need endurance. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36, ESV).
Endurance is formally defined as “the ability or strength to continue despite fatigue, stress or adverse conditions.”2 It’s the capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances. The power to withstand pain or hardships. It’s a hopeful fortitude that perseveres to the end. In the original Greek language of the New Testament, it is hupomone, a compound word that translates “to remain under.”3 It is a quality built by remaining under pressure—something our natural inclination wants to run away from—and it seems to hit us the hardest in the middle.
In the middle of our friendships.
In the middle of our dating relationships.
In the middle of our marriages.
In the middle of our parenting.
In the middle of our education.
In the middle of building our careers.
In the middle of an illness.
In the middle of a court case.
In the middle of a pandemic.
In the middle of a transition.
In the middle of something we’re hoping praying will happen.
In the middle of waiting on answers.
In the middle of anything is where it’s the most tedious, the most difficult, and utterly wearisome. It’s where we’re most challenged, isn’t it? It’s where all we want to do is quit.
But if we will build endurance, that strength the writer of Hebrews told us we would need, if we will train ourselves from the Word of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, then we will have the wherewithal to make it through the middle. And not just one middle, but every middle that we will ever live through.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help us endure well as we go through the middle of everything we will ever go through. Help us run our race well, so that when we have done the will of God, we will receive what was promised. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Discipleship - The Disciple-Making Stage (Cultural Christian)

Here are the Four Stages of Discipleship we have covered this week.
The Infant Stage
The Maturing Stage
The Others Stage
The Disciple-Making Stage
Matthew 28:19 tells us to go and make disciples of all nations.
Mature Christ followers have a deep conviction that they’re called to make disciples. If you don’t graduate to the disciple-making stage, you’re really not a mature disciple. Disciples don’t just go to church; they make disciples. They don’t just study the Bible; they make disciples. This isn’t just for pastors, church leaders, or people with a theology degree. Jesus said one of the hallmark qualities of a disciple is they go and make disciples.
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, – Hebrews 6:1
Cultural Christianity says it’s just about me and Jesus: Bless me. Take care of me. Make me happy. Meet all my needs. If you don’t, I’m shopping for another church that will meet my needs. If you make me mad or do something I don’t like, I’m leaving the church. Because this is all about me!
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. – Hebrews 5:12
Disciples understand it’s not just about me, it’s also about others. That’s what Jesus did. He took twelve men and said, follow me. Do life with me. Have friendship with me. I’m going to equip you to be disciples. I’m going to teach you, correct you, encourage you and train you.
You may have been a Christian for years. You ought to be making disciples by now but you’re stuck. You still think Christianity and church is all about you. It’s time to start making disciples!
Matthew 28:19–20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (NIV)
Acts 6:7 And the Word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (ESV)
This is what it looks like when Christians get unstuck from cultural Christianity. The number of disciples multiplies because disciples make disciples. Not just converts, but disciples. Disciples build relationships with other Christians. They teach others to obey the Word of God.
Don’t get stuck in the infant stage of Christianity. It’s time to stop being a cultural Christian, taking first grade Christianity over and over, and move to being a true disciple of Jesus! God has more for your life and your walk with Him!

Discipleship - The Others Stage (Cultural Christian)

Every stage of your walk with the Lord is part of the growing process. No matter where you find yourself as you’ve been reading over the last several days, don’t be discouraged! Take one practical next step to continue to grow! Today, we are talking about the third stage of discipleship—the others stage.
In this stage, the Christian knows a lot about the Word of God and they’re applying it to their life. In many areas of their life, they’re honoring God’s Word. Their mind has been renewed by God’s Word and continues to be renewed. They live their life differently than the world.
At this stage, they become others-focused. It’s no longer just about them and Jesus. They’ve matured and have become like Jesus and now they’re focused on making a difference in the lives of others. They want to help and serve others.
Ephesians 4:12 says we need to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (ESV)
Here’s what we learn from that verse:
Mature Christians get connected to other Christians. Isolated believers stay stuck in the salvation or milk stage. But mature Christians understand they need to be connected to other Christians so the body of Christ can grow.
Mature Christians get equipped for ministry. You can’t continue to grow as a Christian and stay self-focused. Maturing Christians become others-focused.
Mature Christians serve others so the body of Christ can grow. God calls every Christian to do ministry. Everyone has a ministry inside and outside of the church. Mature Christians move out of the me-focused stage to the serving others stage. They want to build up the body of Christ and see lives changed.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. – 1 Peter 4:10
Ask God to help you move from being self-focused to others-focused as you become a true disciple of Jesus. If you haven’t done so yet, I want to encourage you to find a ministry to serve in at your local church. Take your first step and become others focused and start making a difference in the lives of others.

Discipleship - The Maturing Stage (Cultural Christian)

From Are You A Cultural Christian Or A Follower Of Jesus by Herbert Cooper
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. – Hebrews 5:14
No parent wants their kid to stay stuck as a baby. They can’t wait to watch them take their first step, say their first word, and lose their first tooth. Yet imagine if you just stayed there; riding the highs of applause for baby steps. God doesn’t want us stuck in the baby stage spiritually either!
In the infant stage, some people are ignorant to what God’s Word says about how to live a life that pleases God. But in the maturing stage, people not only learn what the Bible teaches but they apply the Bible to their life.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; – Ephesians 4:14
Maturing people know better so they live better, and their life and habits look different than the world. You are growing as a disciple when your life starts looking different from the world.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (NIV)
In the infant stage, some people are still trying to figure out good from evil. They’re tossed to and fro. But in the maturing stage, people are training themselves to distinguish good from evil. They study God’s Word on their own and they’re applying God’s Word to their life.
When people are in the maturing stage, they also start to recognize lies from the enemy they’ve believed that have held them back from God’s purpose. Maybe they’ve held onto the lie they can never do enough to earn God’s love, but the Word says:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
Or maybe they believe that they can never be free from their past, but it says in John,
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36
As they study God’s Word, they learn to reject and replace lies with the truth that God speaks over their life. By this, they deepen in maturity, trust, and faith in God.
Mature people study God’s Word on their own.
Mature people attend church faithfully.
Mature people grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).
Mature people recognize their lifestyle should reflect God; not the world.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. – Galatians 5:22-25
God doesn’t want us to get stuck in the infant stage; He wants us to grow up! Reflect on today’s verses and ask God to help you enter the maturing stage.

Discipleship - The Infant Stage (Cultural Christian)

Over the next several days we will look at four stages of discipleship. Pay close attention to your own life and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you are in your walk with Jesus so you can take your next steps and grow as a disciple.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. – Hebrews 5:13
The first stage for a new believer is the salvation stage. Salvation is amazing! If you have given your life to Christ, you are a new person! You have been born again! The Bible often compares this stage to that of an infant. I call it the infant stage.
You’ve seen a newborn—they’re helpless! Babies rely on the food, comfort, and care of their guardian. They don’t know how to cope with life, so they cry and stretch out their arms to be held. They don’t understand why things happen; all they think about is how they feel—me, me, me.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Newborn believers live by their five senses and not by faith. Their spirit has been born again, but their mind has not been renewed by the Word of God. That is why it’s so important for a new believer to begin to feed on the milk of the Word of God.
1 Peter 2:2-3 says Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Every Christian needs the milk of the word of God. But we don’t want to get stuck on milk and stay in the infant stage of Christianity. The milk of the Word of God will shine a light on some big areas of your life that need to be changed (language, relationships, bad habits, music and movie choices).
Romans 12:2 reminds us to keep growing, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Some of you are stuck in this infant stage. The Word of God is pointing out areas in your life where you need to change, but you continue to live like the world. You haven’t let your inner heart transformation be reflected in your lifestyle choices. Your life looks just like the world. Maybe your next step is cutting off bad influences and getting in a godly community of friends. Maybe it’s changing your language. Maybe it’s to stop looking at pornography, or getting drunk with your friends, or having sex with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Today, take your next spiritual step by reflecting on today’s verses and asking God to help you see areas of your life that need to be surrendered. It’s time to move to the next stage in your relationship with God!

From Fan To Follower (Cultural Christian)

From Are You A Cultural Christian Or A Follower Of Jesus by Herbert Cooper
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. – Matthew 16:24
When you hear the term “follower,” you probably immediately associate it with a social media number or popularity gauge. Because being a “follower” can be reduced to following someone’s social media account, we might consider ourselves as “followers” of Jesus being that simple: I prayed a prayer years ago, so therefore I’m a follower of Jesus.
Did you know it is possible to be a Cultural Christian but not actually be a follower of Jesus? How do you know if you are truly following Jesus or simply “following” the patterns of Cultural Christianity?
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23
Cultural Christians are fans of Jesus; they may listen to Christian music, wear Christian t-shirts, and go to church services, but they’re not saved. They have never been truly born again. People can literally do Cultural Christian things and not even know Jesus!
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. – Romans 10:9-10
If you have never prayed and asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life, today is the day! Jesus wants to come into your heart and transform into a new person. No matter what you’ve done, God loves you, wants to save you and be the Lord of your life!
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Maybe you are saved but are still living as a Cultural Christian and not a true disciple of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 3 talks about people who will barely make it into heaven and all of their work on earth will be burned up. They won’t have any rewards in heaven because they were Cultural Christians rather than followers of Jesus. True disciples follow the life of Jesus and teachings in scripture.
Disciples follow Jesus. They don’t just sing worship songs; they follow Jesus. They don’t just pray; they follow Jesus. They don’t just read the Bible; they actually do what the Bible says and follow Jesus. Disciples follow the life of Jesus and the Word of God. It’s time to build your life as a disciple of Jesus!
No matter where you are in your walk with God, it’s not too late to move from Cultural Christianity to living as a true disciple of Jesus! Reflect on today’s verses and pray that God would show you how to start living as a true disciple and how to take your walk with the Lord to the next level and move from being a fan to a follower.

God Is Still In Control (5 Fear Fighting Truths)

As I wait for my flight I watch the parade of people. Disgruntled teenagers with caps pulled down over their eyes trailing behind determined parents. Bright-eyed couples holding hands with the honeymoon sun still on their faces. A group of grey-headed ladies in pink matching t-shirts laughing and exchanging stories while they sip coffee.
I wonder about all of them. Where have they come from? Where are they going? What are their fears?
I realize all over again in that moment God knows the answers. He sees every detail of our lives. He’s been with us in every step we’ve ever taken. This reassures me because no human knows what’s ahead. There are certain to be blessings and moments of happiness. There will also be hard days and tears shed. Some parts of our lives will stay much the same and others, like it or not, will inevitably change.
We want to know we’re safe. We’re loved. We’re going to be okay. That’s what gives us the courage to pick up our bag and go.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. – Psalms 121:1-8
Psalm 121:8 says, “The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.” This is mysterious to me because difficult things happen, people get sick and life doesn’t always work out the way I planned. But even if I don’t understand them fully, these words offer hope. Because it means whatever may transpire God is still taking caring of me.
Three hundred and sixty thousand people will arrive on this earth today. Some will depart. The other seven billion of us will go about our business—catching flights, rocking babies, showing up for work, and eating birthday cake.
And God will watch over it all. Every coming and going. Every beginning and end. Every dream come true and heartbreak. He has done this for all of history. He is doing so today. He will continue to do so every day of your life.
This is what’s true about your future, no matter what fear tries to tell you:
God will be there.
You will be loved.
Nothing will be too much for you and Jesus to overcome together.
You may not know exactly what’s ahead of you but you can be absolutely certain of Who is with you. You are not a random passenger, nameless and unknown in the crowd of humanity. And the One who travels with you isn’t afraid of your tears, overwhelmed by your struggles or hesitant about entering into your happiness and celebrations.
We are beloved children of the God who breathed life into our lungs and who numbers every hair on our heads. So let’s go boldly into the next moment with the holy confidence that all things are possible and, in the end, all will be made right.
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Thank you for joining us for this 5-day plan! For more resources and a free gift of 12 Fear-Fighting, Faith-Building Scripture Cards, go to HolleyGerth.com/YouVersion.

God Is Not Afraid of the Dark (5 Fear Fighting Truths)

The rough wooden boardwalk is cool beneath my feet as I make my way to the sand. The sky is still the thick, deep blue of night, and gray shadows sway in the salty wind. I’m not a morning person, but I’m at the beach, and I’m determined to see the sun climb like a rising warrior above the waves at least once.
As I get closer to the shore, I can see more people who have decided to forsake pillows for flip-flops along with me. They sit on huge pieces of stranded driftwood, stroll along the edge of the water with cameras in hand, or sip from coffee cups with dazed looks on their faces. I notice one woman lifting her eyes to the still-night sky, and I am curious. What does she see?
When I follow her example, I am greeted by diamonds thrown out on velvet. One star in particular winks brilliantly back at me. I find out later it’s actually the planet Venus, otherwise known as the morning star. Here is its mystery and beauty: Venus is known for rising in the darkest part of the night, just before dawn.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” – Revelation 22:16
Did you catch that? Jesus said, “I am the . . . bright Morning Star”
This means, among other things, he is not afraid of the deepest dark. He is not frightened by the secret places in our hearts. The ones that haven’t seen daylight for years. The kind with the locks on the doors. The sort we don’t say out loud or even fully admit to ourselves.
He is not running scared from the tragedies in our lives. He is not backing away from the brokenness, the bitterness, and the shattered dreams. He is not intimidated by the monsters under our beds or inside our minds. He is not avoiding the struggles or the addictions. He is not waving his hands in surrender to the enemies of our souls. He is not saying, “This is too much for me.”
He is not afraid to step right into the night. Not afraid to even dwell in the middle of it. Because he is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. This means darkness can surround him and he cannot be defeated or diminished by it.
He came as a baby into a midnight world and announced his arrival with a shining star. He conquered death in a dark tomb and rolled the stone away, making a way into the brightness for all of us. In the thickest gloom, the Morning Star rose.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
“The LORD’S mercies . . . are new every morning”. As I watch the sun slip into the morning sky and fill it with gold and flame, I bear witness that these words are true.
Venus, the morning star that foreshadowed all this light and blazing glory, seems to be more than just a planet; it suddenly also seems to be a promise. A daily reminder from the heart of our Creator that even the deepest night will lead to dawn. Fear and darkness cannot win; the light will never be overcome.